Few people would have the courage to leave a very secure future in academia for a very uncertain life behind the bar.  Our guest did, and he has never looked back.

Are you crazy for Thomas Shelby and also have a passion for Japanese Whisky? Do you have no clue who Thomas Shelby is but love your Japanese whisky? Or do you not know either about Thomas Shelby or Japanese Whisky but just want to meet one of the greatest guys in the spirit industry? Then this episode is for you!

James Bowker is a proud Brummie; that is someone from Birmingham, England btw, just like Thomas Shelby in Peaky Blinders, one of my favorite programs. 

His early love of Japanese whisky grew into a role as the first House of Suntory Global Advocacy Manager.  I met James many years ago when he was one of the ten finalists for the Diageo World Class UK, and have just now finally had him on the program.  

It was kismet as I was just about to step on a plane to Japan.  He taught me so much, which made the experience a billion times better.  Even if you are not headed to Japan, his knowledge is invaluable. 

Before we begin, you can always watch this episode on Youtube, plus all the other Lush Life episodes, as well as a whole lot more; just head to youtube.com/@lushlifemanual that's youtube.com/@lushlifemanual!

The cocktail of the week is the Kyoto Club!

INGREDIENTS 

• 50ml Suntory ROKU Gin
• 25ml Green Tea (Chilled)
• 25ml Lemon Juice
• 15ml Raspberry Syrup
• (Sugar + Raspberries if not available)
• Garnish: Raspberries

METHOD

• Fill the glass with ice. 
• Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice.
• Shake for 15 seconds. 
• Strain into glass and garnish.

You’ll find this recipe, more gin cocktail recipes, and all the cocktails of the week at alushlifemanual.com, where you’ll find some of the ingredients in our shop.

Full Episode Details: https://alushlifemanual.com/house-of-suntory-spirits-with-james-bowker

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You asked for it, and you got it - all of you kind people who filled out my survey asked for more interviews with more legends. Our guest is the world's most-awarded bartender & bar owner. If Mr Lyan isn’t a legend, I don’t know who is.

If you call yourself a cocktail connoisseur, then you will have come upon the name Mr Lyan in your travels. Ryan Chetiyawardana, aka Mr Lyan opened White Lyan in London in 2013. It was a moment that will go down in cocktail history as the first cocktail bar in the world to use no perishables, no fruit, and even no ice, an innovative approach to sustainability, with much lower waste and a use of pre-made cocktails and never before seen ingredients. 

This focus on a ground-breaking approach remains in the evolution of White Lyan, Super Lyan, Dandelyan, Cub, Lyaness, Silver Lyan, and Seed Library.

Ryan’s with me to discuss his new book, Mr Lyan’s Cocktails at Home: Good Things to Drink with Friends, but we go into so much more - 

How his relationship to flavor evolved, how his studying Fine Arts at Central Saint Martins as well as Biology at Edinburgh University spurred him on to get behind the bar, and why the need to write a book at all.

You have no idea how excited I am to finally have Ryan on the show!

Before we begin, you can always watch this episode on Youtube, plus all the other Lush Life episodes as well as a whole lot more; just head to youtube.com/@lushlifemanual

The cocktail of the week is Ryan’s Barlay Champagne!

INGREDIENTS 

• 4 shots (100ml/4oz) water
• 6 shots (150ml/6oz) lemon barley water cordial
• 8 shots (200ml/8oz) fino sherry or dry vermouth
• 12 shots (300ml/12oz) London dry gin
• 10 dashes Tabasco
• Rosemary sprigs, to garnish

METHOD

• Add the water, cordial, sherry or vermouth, and gin to a jug, then add the Tabasco 
• Stir and then decant into a clean wine bottle and chill well
• To serve, add a shot and a half (40ml/1.5oz) of the chilled mixture to a flute, then top with bubbles. 
• Add a sprig  of rosemary and serve

The Magic is that “you can make lemon barley cordial at home (it's a very old-fashioned British cordial of pearl barley and lemon), but this recipe works great with any store-bought cordial that brings sweetness and acidity. Elderflower, blackcurrant, or even more regional ones such as redcurrant or gooseberry also work-although there's a richness to the barley addition that works wonderfully.  Tabasco adds a background heat, but try adding other accent spices such as gochujang or sriracha - just sieve it after mixing to remove any particulates, as they will interfere with the fizz. Plus, you just want a hint of fruity warmth. else you’ll throw the balance of the drink.”

You’ll find this recipe, more Champagne cocktail recipes, and all the cocktails of the week at alushlifemanual.com, where you’ll find some of the ingredients in our shop.

Full Episode Details: https://alushlifemanual.com/cocktails-at-home-with-ryan-chetiyawardana

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Throughout history, artists and writers have been drawn to the Northern Italian hill town of Asolo; some say it’s because it’s the “city of a hundred horizons,” I think it’s because it’s the home of Asolo Prosecco!

At one time, you might have caught a glimpse of poet Robert Browning, actress Elenora Duse, or writer Freya Stark sitting enjoying a glass of bubbly at one of the cafes in this Pearl of the Veneto; I can almost guarantee the liquid in their glass was Asolo prosecco! 

In this episode, I’m taking you with me to Asolo to meet a few people who are making Asolo Prosecco what it is! We‘ll begin with a masterclass led by Wine Educator and  Journalist Gianpaolo Giacobbo, who will explain what Asolo prosecco DOCG is exactly. 

Then Ugo Zamperoni is next. He is the President of the Conzorio of Asolo Prosecco - which is the association of producers and grape growers. 

Then we are off to meet a few producers of Asolo Prosecco: Dennis Bordin from the Tenuta d’Asolo Progress Country & Wine House,  Ermenegildo Giusti of Giusti Wine, and then we finish with Tenuta Baron’s Andrea Sbrissa.  

I interviewed them all in situ, so alas, there is no video podcast this week, but you can find a video guide to the town of Asolo and a selection of the vineyards and historical sites you can visit when you are next in town. You can find it on my YouTube channel, youtube.com/lushlifemanual. 

Our cocktail of the week comes straight from master mixologist Samuele Ambrosi, owner of Cloakroom Cocktail Lab and Knowledge Hub in Treviso. We met at Venice Cocktail Week last year, and I am thrilled to include one of his cocktail creations. It's called the Made in Italy and is a little different from what you might think of as a prosecco cocktail - because it’s savory!

The cocktail of the week is Samuele Ambrosi’s MADE IN ITALY.

INGREDIENTS 

• 50ml  Basil and "datterino" tomatoes cordial*
• 150 ml Asolo DOCG Prosecco extra Brut

METHOD

• Add all the ingredients to a mixing glass
• Add ice
• Stir, stir, stir
• Strain into a champagne glass
• Garnish with a tomato basil cracker

*Basil and "datterino" tomatoes cordial*

• In an electric blender, add 500gr cherry tomatoes and 10/12 fresh basil leaves and blend everything for a few minutes
• Leave the liquid all together for 10/15 minutes in the fridge.
• Then strain all and put 1 tsp white sugar
• Keep the cordial in the fridge
• Best before 10/12 days
• You can use the leftovers (tomato peel, basil leaves, etc.) to make the garnish! 

You’ll find this recipe, more prosecco cocktail recipes, and all the cocktails of the week at alushlifemanual.com, where you’ll find some of the ingredients in our shop.

Full Episode Details: https://alushlifemanual.com/asolo-prosecco-podcast

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Become a supporter of A Lush Life Manual for as little as $5 - all you have to do is go to patreon.com/lushlife

Lush Life Merchandise is here - we’re talking t-shirts, mugs, iPhone covers, duvet covers, iPad covers, and more covers for everything! And more! 

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New episodes every Tuesday, usually!!

School is back, and a new season of Lush Life commences! How exciting!

I’m Susan Schwartz, your drinking companion, and this is the Lush Life Podcast, every week we are inspired to live life one cocktail at a time.

Yes, next Tuesday, I bring you the first episode of Season 8 of Lush Life.  This season, we’ll have even more great conversations, enjoy more great cocktails, and visit a few more great places to enjoy a sip or two.

We’ll be delving into prosecco, horse racing, and absinthe, plus meeting even more legends of the industry, and that’s just the beginning! Of course, I will also be bringing you the latest cocktails of the week!

Just a note if you are new to Lush Life - you can find out more information on everyone I’ve interviewed on my blog alushlifemanual.com! And you can also watch most of the interviews on my YouTube channel, which, not to confuse you, is youtube.com/lushlifemanual without the A! 

I can’t leave you without a pre-season cocktail of the week.

Since this time of year is all about apples - this is one of my favorite autumn cocktails (and one I always start the season with!)

It’s the Avallen Autumn Old-Fashioned:

Ingredients

• 50ml  / 1.5 oz Avallen Calvados
• 10ml / 1 tbsp Amontillado Sherry
• 5ml / 1 tsp Maple Syrup 
• 1 Large Barspoon Fig Jam

Method

• Pour all ingredients into a mixing glass: Stir to dissolve jam (10-15 seconds)
• Then add ice, and stir, stir, stir. 
• Double strain into a rocks glass with ice filled to the top
• Garnish with a slice of fig or apple or a fig and an apple

You’ll find this recipe, plus all the cocktails of the week, at ALushLifeManual.com, where you’ll also find almost all the ingredients in our shop. 

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Become a supporter of A Lush Life Manual for as little as $5 - all you have to do is go to patreon.com/lushlife.

Lush Life Merchandise is here - we’re talking t-shirts, mugs, iPhone covers, duvet covers, iPad covers, and more covers for everything! And more! 

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New episodes every Tuesday, usually!!

Just when you thought my season was over, I’m surprising you with a little mid-summer episode dedicated to a place and spirit I love.

If you’ve been listening to Lush Life for a while, you would probably know that I love Venice. If you are a first-timer to Lush Life, I'll say it again I love Venice! 

So how excited am I to be joined by my friend Rudi Carraro, Global Brand Ambassador of the very Venetian Select Aperitivo?  

I’ll let Rudi tell you how Select and Venice go hand-in-hand while I sip my Select Spritz dreaming I’m on a terrace overlooking the Grand Canal.

Before we begin and for the last time this season, you can always watch this episode on Youtube, plus all the other Lush Life episodes as well as a whole lot more, just head to youtube.com/@lushlifemanual that's youtube.com/@lushlifemanual!

Now let’s join Rudi!

Our cocktail of the week is the Select Spritz:

INGREDIENTS

• 2 oz Select Aperitivo
• 3 oz Prosecco
• 1 splash Soda
• 1 Green olive

METHOD

• Fill a wine glass with ice
• Pour Select Aperitivo into the glass
• Add the prosecco and then the soda
• Stir very gently
• Garnish with a green olive - truly Venetian! 

You’ll find this recipe, more Select Aperitivo cocktail recipes, and all the cocktails of the week at alushlifemanual.com, where you’ll also find most of the ingredients in our shop.

Full Episode Details: https://alushlifemanual.com/select-aperitivo-with-rudi-carraro

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Become a supporter of A Lush Life Manual for as little as $5 - all you have to do is go to patreon.com/lushlife.

Lush Life Merchandise is here - we’re talking t-shirts, mugs, iPhone covers, duvet covers, iPad covers, and more covers for everything! And more! 

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New episodes every Tuesday, usually!!

What a great way to start the summer by celebrating with a guest whose job it is to celebrate the best of the best.

Mark Sansom has been Director of Content at The World’s 50 Best Bars, 50 Best Discovery, The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, and soon to be the World’s 50 Best Hotels for the past 5 very momentous years!

Today he guides us through a bit about the history of World’s 50 Best, but mostly we get to what’s been happening since Covid and how the site and events have changed since Mark joined the team.

Before we begin and for the last time this season, you can always watch this episode on Youtube, plus all the other Lush Life episodes as well as a whole lot more; just head to youtube.com/@lushlifemanual that's youtube.com/@lushlifemanual!

Our cocktail of the week is one of Mark’s favorites, the Mezcal Negroni!

INGREDIENTS

• 50ml Campari
• 50ml sweet vermouth
• 50ml gin
• 10ml super smoky mezcal
• orange half-wheel

METHOD

• Add all the ingredients to a mixing glass
• Add ice
• Stir, stir, stir
• Strain into a rocks glass with ice
• Garnish with an orange half-wheel

You’ll find this recipe, more mezcal cocktail recipes, and all the cocktails of the week at alushlifemanual.com, where you’ll also find most of the ingredients in our shop.

Full Episode Details: https://alushlifemanual.com/worlds-50-best-bars-with-mark-sansom

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Become a supporter of A Lush Life Manual for as little as $5 - all you have to do is go to patreon.com/lushlife.

Lush Life Merchandise is here - we’re talking t-shirts, mugs, iPhone covers, duvet covers, iPad covers, and more covers for everything! And more! 

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New episodes every Tuesday, usually!!

Join Christian Jensen, Founder of Jensen’s Gin on a journey to create a gin that harks back to the vintage gins he revered.

Who would have thought that sitting in a bar in Tokyo you might sip a gin that reminded you why you fell in love with the spirit in the first place?

Christian Jensen dreamt about gins gone by until the fateful sip….and upon returning to London he decide he needed to create a gin just for himself. That gin is Jensen’s and thank goodness he decided to share it with others. 

Today he talks us through the journey he took to create that special gin he was dreaming about.

Before we begin, you can always watch this episode on Youtube, plus all the other Lush Life episodes as well as a whole lot more, just head to youtube.com/@lushlifemanual that's youtube.com/@lushlifemanual!

Now let’s join Christian. 

Our cocktail of the week is the CJ Collins:

INGREDIENTS

• 70ml Jensen's Old Tom 
• 25ml Freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 12.5ml Simple syrup on a 1:1 ratio
• 70ml Soda water

METHOD

• All ingredients directly in glass with large junks of ice,
• Give it a stir
• Garnish with a 1/2 lemon wheel and lemon zest. 

You’ll find this recipe, more rum cocktail recipes, and all the cocktails of the week at alushlifemanual.com, where you’ll also find most of the ingredients in our shop.

Full Episode Details: https://alushlifemanual.com/jensens-gin-with-christian-jensen

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Become a supporter of A Lush Life Manual for as little as $5 - all you have to do is go to patreon.com/lushlife.

Lush Life Merchandise is here - we’re talking t-shirts, mugs, iPhone covers, duvet covers, iPad covers, and more covers for everything! And more! 

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New episodes every Tuesday, usually!!

Are you ready to be comfortable with discomfort? Our guest was. Now  after nearly 25 years in the Guinness and beer space, he’s making a name for himself in the spirit world. 

Jason Kidd, founder of Outcast Brands, spent most of his career trotting around the globe working with beer; now he’s home in Ireland making Blood Monkey gin and Two Shores Rum. Both prove that, in Jason’s words, “interesting drinks are always on the margins of the category that we work in.” Find out why his two liquids are not only breaking the mold but Irish through and through.

Before we begin, you can always watch this podcast on Youtube, where you’ll find a video of this episode plus all the other Lush Life episodes as well as a whole lot more, just head to youtube.com/@lushlifemanual that's youtube.com/@lushlifemanual!

Our cocktail of the week is the Two Shores Golden Mojito:

INGREDIENTS

• 3 Limes
• 6 Mint leaves
• 60ml Two Shores Single Malt Finish
• 1 teaspoon of Golden Demerara Sugar
• Soda water splash

METHOD

• Grab a highball glass and muddle two cut-up limes and about 6 leaves of mint. 
• Add 1 teaspoon of golden demerara sugar or light brown sugar and crush it with your muddler
• Add the 60ml Two Shores Single Malt Finish Rum
• Stir to mix everything, and then add crushed ice and a splash of soda water.
• Add more crushed ice if needed.

You’ll find this recipe, more rum cocktail recipes, and all the cocktails of the week at alushlifemanual.com, where you’ll also find most of the ingredients in our shop.

Full Episode Details: https://alushlifemanual.com/outcast-brands-with-jason-kidd

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Become a supporter of A Lush Life Manual for as little as $5 - all you have to do is go to patreon.com/lushlife.

Lush Life Merchandise is here - we’re talking t-shirts, mugs, iPhone covers, duvet covers, iPad covers, and more covers for everything! And more! 

Produced by Simpler Media

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New episodes every Tuesday, usually!!

As if organizing the biggest cocktail week in the world isn’t enough, my two guests have created the Michelin guide for the drinks industry! 

More than 10 years ago, Hannah Sharman-Cox and Siobhan Payne joined forces and made London Cocktail Week what it is today. Every cocktail lover’s favorite week of the year, including mine!

It’s been running continuously every year since it began - they didn’t even let a small thing like a global pandemic get in the way. Now, in addition to that, they have co-founded the Pinnacle Guide, which will be championing excellence in bars around the world. How did it all happen? That’s what they're here to tell me!

Before we begin, you can always watch this podcast on Youtube, where you’ll find a video of this episode plus all the other Lush Life episodes as well as a whole lot more, just head to youtube.com/@lushlifemanual that's youtube.com/@lushlifemanual!

Our cocktail of the week is the Wet (ish) Vodka Martini:

INGREDIENTS

• 2 1/2 ounces vodka
• 1/2 ounce dry vermouth
• 1 dash orange bitters
• Garnish: a lemon twist

METHOD

• Add the vodka, dry vermouth, and orange bitters to a mixing glass
• Add ice
• Sir, stir, stir
• Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
• Garnish with a lemon twist

You’ll find this recipe, more Martini cocktail recipes, and all the cocktails of the week at alushlifemanual.com, where you’ll also find most of the ingredients in our shop.

Full Episode Details: https://alushlifemanual.com/hannah-sharman-cox-and-siobhan-payne

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Become a supporter of A Lush Life Manual for as little as $5 - all you have to do is go to patreon.com/lushlife.

Lush Life Merchandise is here - we’re talking t-shirts, mugs, iPhone covers, duvet covers, iPad covers, and more covers for everything! And more! 

Produced by Simpler Media

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram

Get great cocktail ideas on Pinterest

New episodes every Tuesday, usually!!

What cocktail combines three days of activities, collaborations, guest shifts, and seminars in Barcelona and bar industry legends from some of the most famous bars in the world with one serious message? That would be the Paradiso Sustainability Summit 2023.

On 21, 22, and 23 March 2023, I was fortunate to attend the second edition of the Paradiso Sustainability Summit, organized by Giacomo Giannotti and his Team in partnership with Ketel One Vodka through their Garnished with Good program.

For those who might not know, Giacomo’s bar Paradiso was ranked Best Cocktail Bar in the world for The World's 50 Best Bars 2022, and this summit was established as an exchange of ideas and tools with the aim of raising awareness and making the industry more sustainable.

Also at the Summit and joining us today on Lush Life is not only Giacomo but also Matthew Dale from Re in Sydney, Agung and Laura Prabowo and Saan Dhakal from Penicillin in Hong Kong, Paul Voza from Himkok in Oslo; Tato Giovannoni from Floreria Atlantico in Buenos Aires, Alex Francis from Little Red Door, Paris, and Dennis Tamsa from Ketel One.

It was truly an eye-opening event, I know they more than inspired me to do so much more to be sustainable!

The cocktail of the week is Paradiso’s The Cloud:

INGREDIENTS 

• 40 ml Mezcal Union 
• 40 ml Amaro 
• 10 ml Fino sherry infused with hibiscus
• 20 ml xilitol cordial
• 1 piparra 
• Sparkling water 

METHOD

• Add all the ingredients to a highball glass filled with ice
• Top with sparkling water
• Garnish with a nasturtium leaf and a coffee cloud

You’ll find this recipe and all the cocktails of the week at alushlifemanual.com, where you’ll find some of the ingredients in our shop.

Full Episode Details: https://alushlifemanual.com/paradiso-barcelona-sustainability-summit-2023

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Become a supporter of A Lush Life Manual for as little as $5 - all you have to do is go to patreon.com/lushlife

Lush Life Merchandise is here - we’re talking t-shirts, mugs, iPhone covers, duvet covers, iPad covers, and more covers for everything! And more! 

Produced by Simpler Media

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram

Get great cocktail ideas on Pinterest

New episodes every Tuesday, usually!!